Solid hardwood floors must be fixed into position by either gluing or nailing down to the subfloor.
Solid hardwood floors are typically nailed down to a wooden subfloor on or above grade. Engineered hardwood products may be fastened, stapled, or glued on, above, or below grade. The glue-down method is commonly used in slab construction because it allows the flooring to be attached directly to a concrete slab.
The recommended glue for floating installation is Tongue and Groove engineered flooring glue. Glue placement is very important. The glue must be placed along the topside of the groove the full length of the grooved side and end.
We recommend and encourage a glue assist for all nailed down floors, especially if you are nailing down a thin floor, a solid or engineered floor that is 5” or wider, or one installed in an environment with moisture swings. These types of floors are more likely to have problems with squeaks.
Many wood flooring manufacturers opt not to provide glue-assist guidelines at all. Further contributing to potentially confusing or absent instructions from manufacturers is the fact that glue-assist is not a requirement, but simply an optional aid for flooring installation.
Glue-down floors are better for rooms with heavy load and foot traffic because they're more stable. On the other hand, floating floors have more room for warping and buckling that are triggered by changing temperature and moisture levels in the room.
Do I need a vapor barrier for hardwood floors?" The answer is YES! Moisture can destroy hardwood flooring. It causes cupping, warping, and even mildew if not treated. You must install a moisture barrier to protect your flooring from water wicking up from below.
Can any type of hardwood flooring be floated? You must only float engineered hardwood flooring over an underlay. Solid wood flooring is not structurally stable enough to be floated, so it must be fixed into position.
A slotted underlay can be used with solid wood flooring or engineered wood flooring. Glue is applied into the slots of the underlay using a barrel gun which helps make the application quick and mess free. The wood flooring is then fixed on top and held to the subfloor by adhesive through the slots.
While underlayment isn't always necessary for your hardwood floors, there are always benefits to it. One of the most significant reasons to install underlayment is the added stability and durability. Underlayment provides support for your floor and helps smooth subfloor imperfections.
Apply a 1/4 –inch continuous line (bead) of construction adhesive such as LIQUID NAILS® Subfloor and Deck Construction Adhesive (LN-902) along joists before laying your chosen flooring. When laying hard floors, you will need to apply the adhesive as you work across the floor, one board at a time.
If your room(s) have a concrete subfloor, gluing the floor down will be your best option. This will allow a large continuous installation with few transition pieces. In very dry or humid regions, gluing the floor down will limit expansion and contraction of the floor.
Using solid wood flooring
When installing a solid wood floor, each plank should be fixed down directly onto the existing wooden floor boards by either secret nailing or secret screwing. The nails or screws should be approximately 300mm apart to offer optimum stability.
One of the best and easiest ways to protect your hardwood flooring from water damage is to lay down mats and rugs throughout the house. Place mats at the entrances to your home to keep wet, muddy shoes from traipsing onto your floors, and put a mat at the base of any sinks to protect your flooring from splashing water.
Underlayment is the layer of material that sits between the subfloor and the new hardwood flooring. Subflooring is a layer of plywood or engineered wood that sits at the very bottom layer of the flooring.
You can fit both engineered wood and solid wood flooring over a concrete subfloor. A solid wooden floor needs to be glued down to the concrete. An engineered wooden floor can either be glued down or laid over an underlay.
Floating Floors: Cons
In environments where the temperature shifts frequently or moisture levels are high, floating flooring is not the best choice because it can develop warping, pitting, and mold. Another floating floor disadvantage is the fact that this flooring cannot be sanded. It is designed with a sealed finish.
Floating floors are notoriously noisy underfoot. A floating floor, by definition, does not attach to the subfloor, and it can creak and crackle underfoot for a few reasons, including inexperienced installation or poor-quality flooring materials.
Laminate flooring can be installed directly over hardwood, often with no preparation necessary. If your laminate has a built-in underlayer, you may install it right on top of the hardwood.
Start with a whole plank from the point you've marked on the wall. Put spacers between your plank and the wall. This will give the floor room to expand and contract with changes in humidity. Measure the space that's left between this plank and the wall and saw the next plank to size.
The process of installing a wide plank floor is relatively easy, especially with the custom milling and wide, long boards of a Carlisle floor — after all there are few boards to install.
The most common reason why floor finish peels, is because the wood is not prepared correctly. If the wood is not prepped in the correct way, this means that the floor finish cannot stick to the floor as it should. This will quickly lead to peeling.